Dealing with the adversity that comes from being a race car driver requires resilience and nerves of steel. For Jimmy Blewett, it was a mentality he was born with, following in the footsteps of his hard-nosed grandfather, father, and older brother. On The Dale Jr. Download, Blewett joins Dale Earnhardt Jr. and co-host Mike Davis to discuss growing up in a tough household, racing in the modified ranks, and losing a loved one in motorsports.

Hailing from Howell, New Jersey, the Blewetts have long been known for their rough and tumble nature. Jimmy recounts stories of his grandfather John dealing with unruly customers at the yard. He also shares episodes from his childhood following his father John Jr.’s racing career, where they were “banned for life” from many of the east coast’s finest race establishments due to pit melees. 

Jimmy shares that initially his grandfather purchased a racecar for his uncle to drive, hoping that it would keep him out of trouble. But his father was so fascinated with the car that he ended up racing and became quite good. He would be a mainstay in the eastern modified ranks for decades, before retiring in the early 90s. About that time, Jimmy’s older brother John III was beginning his own impressive chapter of Blewett family racing history, and it would help pave the way for Jimmy to get on track as well.

After getting into go-kart racing at the age of 14, he eventually wanted to build a street stock to run at his home track, Wall Stadium. But Grandpa Blewett disapproved, claiming that his running a street stock would embarrass the family, and one night the car disappeared from the shop, a mystery still unsolved. Through his brother’s help, Jimmy got the opportunity to test someone else’s car, and he was hooked.

The story of how Jimmy came to get his first modified is epic, involving a failed effort to get a loan, having to bring his grandfather on as a co-signer, and winning a car show without an engine. Once he was able to scrape together a functioning race car, his challenges were far from over. His grandfather wanted him to start at the back of every race to gain on-track experience. This helped develop his driving ability, and before long Jimmy was a modified race winner. In fact, in his first two full seasons in modified competition at Wall Stadium, he brought home back-to-back season championships.

Jimmy speaks candidly about his relationship with his grandfather and father, and how he felt he spent a lot of his career seeking their approval. He also speaks about the mentorship he received from his older brother John III, and how he helped raise Jimmy in the aftermath of his parent’s divorce. The two developed a healthy on-track rivalry, always racing each other for bragging rights of the highest placing Blewett. But as time would tell, no amount of conditioning or hardship could prepare the Blewett family for the loss on the horizon.

In August 2007, the Blewett brothers were in competition at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut when Jimmy’s right-front tire was punctured, causing a head-on collision with the wall. Mayhem behind him ensued, and John and several other cars piled into Jimmy’s wrecked modified. Jimmy was knocked unconscious from the impact of the crash, but upon coming to he heard his brother’s screams and jumped out to try and save him. Unfortunately, John’s injuries would prove too critical and he passed away that evening at the age of 33. Suddenly, Jimmy’s entire life had changed and he had an insurmountable tragedy to deal with.

DIRTY AIR

Before Jimmy joins the show, Dale, Mike, Alex, and Hannah chat about:

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